The present invention relates to a cooler device and particularly to initial cooling of a medium before it enters a cooling portion of the cooler. The invention has application to combustion engines.
A conventional radiator of a vehicle is usually provided with a cooling portion in which the radiator liquid is cooled and two gathering tanks which are connected to the cooling portion at opposite ends. The purpose of the first gathering tank is to receive the warm radiator liquid before it is led into the cooling portion. The purpose of the second gathering tank is to receive the radiator liquid after it has passed through the cooling portion. The cooling portion usually comprises a plurality of tubular elements arranged in parallel which lead the radiator liquid between the gathering tanks. Surrounding air flows in the spaces between the tubular elements so that the radiator liquid is subjected to cooling within the tubular elements. Heat transfer elements of various kinds, e.g. in the form of thin folded metal elements, are usually arranged in the spaces between the tubular elements to provide an increased contact surface with the air which flows in the spaces between the tubular elements. The tubular elements and the heat-transferring elements may be made of metals such as aluminum, copper, brass and magnesium or other materials which have very good heat-conducting characteristics. Conventional gathering tanks are usually made of injection-moulded plastic material.
US 2003/0006028 refers to a heat exchanger which can be used as an air-cooled radiator of a vehicle. The heat exchanger comprises a cooling portion with a plurality of tubular elements which are intended to lead a radiator liquid between two gathering tanks. The invention there described relates to the configuration of the connection between the gathering tanks and the cooling portion. The gathering tanks are there made of an injection-moulded plastic material. The specification states that the gathering tanks may alternatively be made of aluminum or other suitable material.